Ammunition loading device with chain conveyer for small-arms



AMMUNITION LOADING DEVICE WITH CHAIN CONVEYEJR FOR SMALL-ARMS Filed June 19., 1954 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Feb. 18, 1936.

AMMUNITION LOADING DEVICE WITH CHAIN'CONVEYER FOR SMALL-ARMS Fild June 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. is, 1936 a a i I 2,031,433

UNITED YSTATE'S' PATENT i -OFF C r i AMMUNITION LOADING. DEVICE WITH CHAIN coNvnYEn FOR, siimnn nnms e'iui c sccs rui-ianaiy V p Application June-19,1934, SerialNo. 731,246

C. 'i .7 In Italy June' 26,"193'3 4 Claims. (01. 42-6) he automaticsmall-arms are generally loaded device 25 is introduced through a lower opening by means of a magazineconsisting of a narrow in the buttya cartridge is thusbrou n t box open on one side, in which the cartridges path of the bolt and held in place by a resilient are arrangedone upon another. At'each stroke po 5 of the breech bolt, when the top cartridge is A crank lever 20 is hinged to the frame behind 5;

pushed into the barrel, the next cartridge is he conveyer and underthe bolt; one arm I l' of brought to the loading position by the action of a said crank lever is caused to swing d g the spring, the so-called elevator spring, arranged recoil by a tOOth 3| and during the return StI'Ok on the bottom of the magazine, When the magaby e t00th'32r T0 e a 12 0f t e C a k lever zinecontains a large numberof cartridges, as it is elltiellleteda Pe the h k efpwhich 10 is generally-the case in automatic fire-arms,it is gages ribs 14 on the conveyer 2 a rib be of a considerable length, which however should plbvidedvfer e id Width 0f dis: not exceed a'certain limit. The tension of the Placement of the level effeeted'bythe p 3| elevator spring-is variable and when it is too 15511011 as to move the W l3 t0 the required 15 high (th :magazine beingcompletely loaded) it extent for advancing the conveyer by the distance 15' opposes a high resistance to' the'travel of the betweentwo a d s; th t y s tu d id y breech bolt and may stop it; while when the tenunder the action of the pv e 5 sion-is'too low-(th'e magazine being nearly vex- DS iefdisplaeemeht 0f the paw e e hausted) it 'does notraise the cartridge quickly clearly illustrated in Figs. a e F 2o enoughand may stop h firing. fife. shows that the pawl l3, though beingfree, main arms provided with a feeding device in the form tains its angular p s t on e v y t e arm I2 of a chain conveyer, such as certain machine Shown 2 and changes a position y Slidguns,'are free from this inconvenience and a'great mg 011 the face 0f the frame Owing to the number of cartridges may be placed on thtfeedtion'in t joint between bo a d a m, wh ch ing d i e, I I a: a a permits to dispense withthe use of springs which This invention has for its object an automatic denote-Work satisfactorily chiefly Owing ihteltie/v small-arm,- the ammunition loading device of when firing off volleys- I which comizirisesan endless band-conveyer for The belt When lecoiling causes the bend to feeding th cartridges v a advance by'one step carrying a cartridge to the The main feature of the invention consists in Place f e fi ed One; during its return stroke 30 t fact t pawl ra y lockv o it-pushes said cartridge.intothe barrel'; The pas-. adapted to feed-the endless conveyer cooperates SiVe resistances to Overcome during the SaidePeT-3 directly with ratchets secured to the conveyer in etion a small being due fi t to the sli ht frica number corresponding to that of the cartridges tion of the drums 0f the conveyer a d then to to be carried by the conveyer. e light Pressure of the prongs 35 The annexed drawings show diagrammatically When on the contrary Spring di dev ces a loading device according to the invention apare used, the belt 011 leeeiling as-t0 Overcome plied t apistol, i the friction sliding on the cartridge pressed by Figures 1, 2 and 3 ShOW the ammunition loadthe i o its re u st t t in p 40 ing device in three different positions. 7 ing the cartridge into the barrel has to overcome 40 Figure 4 shows diagrammatically a device for the high frietien produced y the Spring between signalling when the conveyer is nearly emptied. the cartridge and the edges of the magazine- The pistgl is cf t usual construction wherein The smaller effort to be efiected by the bolt, acthe feeding device is housed in the-butt. cording to this invention, p s e use Of a The pistol is of the recoiling barrel type. 2| stro e retu spr n o a e p w u o o- 45 is the frame, 22 the butt, the fixed part of which sure, thus obtaining an increas r n e of the serves as a support'for the feeding mechanism; -e the movable part serving as a cover for the The conveyer as it has been Said bove, s feeding mechanism having been removed. 23 is a introduced nd extracted through a lower p breech bolt provided as usual with an extractor 111 o e butt. 50

and a striker 24. The butt houses the feeding The spring controlled lever l6 pivoted to the a device comprising an endless band and a box 25 ame engages by means of a tooth I! a tooth with two drums 26 '(Fig. 4) between which is IS on the trigger l9, when the conveyer has been stretched a band 21 carrying the cartridges 28 removed; when the conveyer is in position (Fig.

by means of resilient prongs 29. The feeding 1) the lever disengages the trigger, the use of 55 which is thus prevented during the handling of the fire-arm (or the replacement of the conveyer), thus avoiding accidents due to the fact that the user of the fire-arm ignores the presence of a cartridge in the barrel.

The arm may be fired by single shots or Volleys, working in this last case as a machine gun wi to h considera apac ty of the ,band conveyer, according as :the trigger is pressed -to a certain extent permitted by the resistance of a spring or pressed to the limit overcoming said resistance.

The arm of the feeler 30;;(jfig, 4)';contro;ls the presence of the cartridges in-fli-he'icomreyer and signals to the gunner slightly in advance that .the loading tray is near to be empty.

The feeler 30 is in the formal .a .leyci'upiyoted on a pin 33 through the housing of the iconveyer, an arm of this lever abuts against aresilient plate on the frame 2| and the other arm 30 on the :band 123 throu h :a' lon itudinal slot in 'the box 215 of the conveyeres ions as there is :a cartrid e nd r the are; ;30,1t:his latter .deesnot prevent the trigger to be completely pressed down, o that volleys :inayibe ifired if desired. in on the co t ry an empty t rrace comes front of the it is l t e swin s and limits zby means of able dev ce thenressin d wn or the tri er.

h feeler si na s when .few car ridges are :lef n t e lead n tray; :these ilast -.c.artridges may be fired nl by sin le shots. The purp se of this mec ism is to preven that the unner when firing eff volleys which case it is dizfiieult :to count and limit the :shots) may remain fully disarmed wi hout previeus notice and unable :to et .readviior he replacement of the loadingtr v The loading device .aboiie described :may he used in [connection with any automatic fire-arm w th :recoiling breech bolt.

What .I claim :is:

,1. combination with an automatic small.- arm an ammunition loading device comprising, in combination \With ;a breech bolt, :an .endless hand c nveyer :for feeding .the cartridges, ratchs ts secured-to said hand, one for each cartridge, a pawl adapted to engage ,said ratchets .to push the endless band conveyer forward, .acrank lever, on one arm of which -is pivoted isaid :pawlza-nd a stop projection on the :breech bolt, the other arm of aid lever protecting in the course of said DmieQtiOn thus pushing the ;band forward during recoil.

2. In combination with an automatic small arm an ammunition loading device comprising, in combination with the frame of the firearm and a breech bolt slidable in said frame, an endless band conveyer for feeding the cartridges, ratchets secured to said band, one for each cartridge, a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet, a crank lever on one arm of which said pawl is pivoted :with a certain friction, so that the angular position of the pawl relatively to said arm does not change as long as the pawl does not engage one of the ratchet teeth and two stop projections spaced-relationship on said breech bolt, the other arm of said lever projecting between .said stop projections, thus pushing the 'band forward during recoil of the breech bolt.

.3. In combination with an automatic smallarm an ammunitionloading device comprising, in combination with the frame of the firearm, a trigger and a breech bolt slidable in said frame, a box, an endless band -,conveyer for feeding the t id es m unted in said .bex. :a housing in the frame for said box, a lever :mechanism .for locking said trigger as long as :the jbQX :is not in place in said housing, ratchets secured :to said hand, one for each cartridge, aipawl adapted to engage said ratchet to .-p ush the end-1.85s ihand conveyer forward, a crank lever, on one arm of which is pivoted .said pawl and a .step projection on the breech bolt, the other arm of .saidleverprojectm n the o rse of said projection ithu pushin the band forward during reach.

4 In combination an automatic smallar 'n an ammunition loading device comprising, in combination with the frame of the rfi-re-arm, a trigger and ,a breech bolt slidable in said :frame, a her, an endl s band conveyer for feeding the cartridges mounted in said box, a housing in the frame .-for sa d b x, l ver mechani m for locki g id i ger a long as the box i net in place in said h u ng. ratchets secured to said hand, n for each artrid :a p wl adapt d to eng said ratch a crank lever on one arm f which said pawl is pivoted with a certain friction, so that the angular position of the pawl relatively to ,said arm does not Change as long as the pawl does not engage one of the ratchet teeth and a stop projection on the breech bolt, the other arm of said lever projecting in the course of said projec ion, h s Push ng the hand forward during recoil of th br ch belt.

G ULIO 50530.. 

